Major hacks at large companies often make the news, but it is important to know that 67% of small and medium-sized companies are attacked by hackers! According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 60% of SMEs affected by hackers go bankrupt within six months.
Your customers trust that your website is safe.
But where do you start?
Here are 8 ways to check the security of your website:
1. Be careful with plugins and extensions
2. Protect your website with SSL technology
3. Use a WAF to combat top-notch security risk
4. Protect yourself from Malware
5. Secure application forms
6. Use uncrackable passwords
7. Have a backup plan
8. Choose the right web development platform
1. Be careful with plugins and extensions
Many hackers use bots to automatically scan site after site for security vulnerabilities in order to attack them. They often find these vulnerabilities in software plugins and extensions. WordPress, for example, relies heavily on plugins that cause 98% of security vulnerabilities. The Wix platform opts for a safer approach. They only use web apps that are automatically updated, so any security vulnerabilities are immediately resolved.
2. Protect your website with SSL technology
Have you ever noticed that a URL contains HTTPS instead of HTTP? That extra 'S' indicates that the website uses a security technology called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). SSL protects sites from hackers and encrypts data.
A Wix website is automatically provided with an SSL certificate.
3. Use a WAF to combat top-notch security risk
Hackers often use malicious codes in applications to steal login details, destroy data or gain control of servers. This threat is called code injection, and it ranks first in the top 10 security threats. The most effective tool for protecting against code injections is a WAF (a firewall for web applications). It inspects HTTP traffic and protects your server by filtering out threats that can put your website or data at risk. It is a must have in your website design.
4. Protect yourself from Malware
Malware is a huge threat that caused 2 billion in damage last year. Malware has various styles such as Trojan viruses, spyware, adware and ransomware. Malware is delivered via email in most cases.
Check if your hosting platform has frequent malware scans by firewalls and antivirus programs. And never open suspicious emails!
5. Secure registration forms
Sign-up forms make it easy for customers to sign up on corporate websites. But they are also vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to uncover potentially thousands of credentials. Prevent access by adding layers of protection such as limiting the number of login attempts or using a reCAPTCHA tool so that visitors have to prove that they are not a robot.
6. Use uncrackable passwords
According to research, 81% of data breaches in businesses come from stolen or weak passwords. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
Use at least 12 consecutive letters, numbers and symbols in a row. The longer the better.
Do not use names or words that appear in the dictionary and never use personal information.
Change your passwords every few months. Password management tools make all this a lot easier.
7. Have a backup plan
Any website can be attacked. If this happens, make sure your website development platform can fix everything quickly and cleanly. A full backup of a website can get your website up and running again quickly, but it will not solve the problem that caused the crash.
8. Choose the right web development platform
Some website development platforms provide optimal security for the websites you build and host with this platform. Ask about their security policies and their commitment to continuously update and improve their security offering. Make sure you know what security measures they offer and what you may still need to arrange yourself.
For more information about the security of Wix websites, please contact us.